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I have just been listening to the live stream from Full Council held yesterday at the Shire Hall in particular, the reactions from various Councillors about the alternative budget proposed by IOC.
Live Stream can be found here
At around 228 of the live stream Cllr Paul Rone speaks, during his brief response I notice that he says that if turning off the traffic lights is such a good revolutionary idea, then why has nobody else done it? Well actually Paul, quoting you using your own words from yesterdays meeting, "Seek Before You Speak"
Turning off traffic lights has been successful in several towns and cities, one that comes to mind is Portishead, check out the video below:
Portishead Traffic Lights
Furthermore, you suggest that nobody has done this other than Invercargill in New Zealand, you also suggest that this place has a mere population of 7,500 people, well actually you are wrong sir, it is almost as big as Hereford!
Education Lesson below:
You also say that it would be dangerous for pedestrians?? I am confused as there is no suggestion that any of the pedestrian traffic lights would be turned off at all, they would still be working, if this was given a trail and yes that is all we have ever asked for, a trial. Cllr. Rone also suggest that it would work for maybe 12 hours and then there would be mayhem? Again, we have video evidence much of which you will find on our youtube channel where the traffic lights have been out of order for several days and it is common knowledge that when these lights are out of service and using our words, the 'traffic just flows' in Hereford.
To suggest that the members commenting on here are irresponsible keyboard warriors is totally unfair, there has been a lot of research over the past 20 years including that of one of our members Martin Cassini, you can check out his credentials here
Martin Cassini on the One Show
Finally, you also ask why is nobody else doing this? Because people like you are all too quick to reject these proposals. Well as you can see above other towns and cities are doing this successfully or is your dismissal just down to the fact that this is not your or Cllr Edwards idea?
Cllr. Rone and Cllr. Edwards, I am passionate about our city and keen to explore all ideas that may eliminate the terrible daily congestion in Hereford, I just wish others would look and explore some of these ideas.

Oh dear oh dear, poor old Paul. The problem with adopting the confident "I'm a good old boy, I know everything, trust in me" casual posture whilst listening adoringly to the sound of one's own voice is you do need to at least know something. And to know something you need to do a little more than half skimming and misremembering your Google search - it will come to many Kiwis as somewhat of a shock that Invercargill lost 48000 odd residents overnight. God, Paul made Cllr Bruce Baker look intelligent with his idiotic ramblings on Shared Space and or variations of Shared Space, a term coined by Ben Hamilton-Baillie, which was meant to be descriptive of intent, not specific in description - ie/ you can adjust it to suit your town/city's circumstances.
Turning off traffic lights does not mean throwing the elderly, young and visually impaired into the road - crossings, even signal controlled, can and are often still used
Trials by micro-simulation would be done first before any live trials
The Highways Agency, now Highways England, offered to fund the micro-simulation
Jesse Norman MP offered to help secure funding
Poynton, a Conservative controlled town in Cheshire has adopted a Shared space road redesign scheme with great success
The heavily congested Cab Stands junction in Portishead has had it's lights removed with a reduction in congestion and accidents
Accident rates always go down when traffic lights are removed
Council or corporate liability is almost nil when lights are removed - ie/ 'accidents are up to you guv and your own actions'
Cllr Rone is not an expert in road design nor do we seek or care for his open crisp packet, elbows on the edge of the bar opinions
Cllr Rone and the public do not care for my keyboard warrior opinions
If there is a political and public will it is the duty of Cllr Rone and myself and others to explore the possibility of experts giving us their expert opinion
Amey and or Balfour Beatty, will suffer a considerable reduction in budgetary income if lights are removed
The Belmont (Asda) junction was a non traffic controlled roundabout years ago with more traffic using the road than there is now
Likewise for the Steels Westgate (Tesco) roundabout
This Conservative Cabinet has authorised the spending of over 5 million on trying to prove the case for a Western by Pass
That's not provable because the Council officers can't actually produce documents to show if and how that overspend was authorised, I believe
As a river crossing won't be completed for nearly a decade, let's crack on with easier and cheaper ways of getting the city moving

Yes Edwards is a lovely chap who mows the large green area in front of his house with a mower from Barry so that Balfour Beatty don't have too. Currently he is vice chairman of Herefordshire Council the Unitary authority and of course on a regular basis votes with his Blue mates. He will of course be standing again for City and County and if you want the status quo to remain you know what to do with your cross on May 2nd. Paul will be doing the same in Redhill out with mower, cooking at the Kindle centre but like Phil when it comes to the big difficult decisions like improving the traffic system in the City what will they do? Oh yes of course tell you more roads will be required one will be called a Bypass. Don't be fooled it's not a bypass it's a distributor road to allow the Tory paymasters such as Bloor homes to build housing to further block the west of the City.
The sensible thing would of course be to build new bridges to the west and east of the city and convert the existing "lines" in a light tramway.
Good luck all May 2nd

Folk I encounter on my peregrinations across High Town, sometimes stop me and ask: ‘Vicar – how did you come to be de-frocked?’ Oftentimes, this question is posed in Polish.
I usually explain to them that I am bound by the terms of a Gagging Order signed by the then-Bishop of Hereford, The Right Rev Greville Chasuble, save to say it was a very minor misdemeanour, of no great import, involving a) an amateur abseiling session down the cathedral tower to raise funds for a hedgehog sanctuary at Tillington; and b) my total absentmindedness in forgetting to put on any underpants that morning.
It was the graphic telephoto images, broadcast that evening on Midlands Today (which then went viral), which sealed my fate – and caused irreparable damage to the BBC’s Birmingham switchboard. But all that – as the former Mrs Membridge-Tinninges so aptly reminds me, in her annual Christmas card from Antibes – is now in the past.
As Christ himself put it (in his sermon on the steps of Aldi’s Tel Aviv branch, I think it was): “We should always turn the other cheek - after first checking that a) we are wearing underpants and b) there are no BBC Midlands cameramen lurking nearby”. A happy Hallowe'en to you all.
E. Membridge-Tinninges (Rev – defrocked)

The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum
Overnight, a well-organised gang of vandals broke into The Louvre in Paris and vandalised the priceless Mona Lisa, by indelibly lazer-printing a black moustache on her upper lip.
The Indian government has announced that, due to the extensive pollution damage to the marblework of the famous Taj Mahal monument, it has commissioned a consortium (led by former Carillion employees) to paint the facade in the national colours of orange and green.
In Washington, President Trump has tweeted that he is moving his official Presidential offices to Trump Towers, New York, and has written to Benjamin Netanyahu inviting him to set up a new Israeli Embassy in the White House.
Meanwhile in Hereford, the council has published plans to build a flat-roofed three-storey 'Super Surgery' directly in front of the city's iconic Grade II-listed Victorian railway station. "What finer introduction could there be for international visitors arriving by train, for such events as the Hay Literary Festival or the Three Choirs Festival, than to be confronted by a lumpen structure possessing all the architectural elan of a nuclear fall-out shelter," said a council spokesman.

I am just listening to this lay in the bath, I fast forwarded to the section where councillor Rone speaks, like you have said, it is not their idea Colin so they will always dismiss them, even though most Herefordians accept that the traffic situation is much better when the light are out of order, I think that is pretty evident.

County Councillor for Widemarsh Polly Andrews in her recent new letter has criticised the fantastic work achieved by the City Council in providing a memorial bench sited at the recently restored War Memorial on Widemarsh Common.
How anyone in her position can possibly justify complaining about a beautiful bench? Which is a place for contemplation of our lost heroes during the two World Wars.
We visited the memorial shortly after Armistice Day to see the recently added names from World War II and took these fabulous photographs in the Autumn sunshine and as you can clearly see there is no litter in site.

I am sure that I will get slated for my response and although this person appears to be living out of a tent there are plenty of other places he could set up rather than in a graveyard. Authorities need to remove him from this location.

I understand what you are saying Roger but I disagree with you as Hereford is the home of Freedom church so where better to start looking for other people who’s lives may have been ruined by them?
It would be good if acitizen76 could give more detail on how there sister came to get involved with FC etc?

Whilst I’m a High Town man and have always been a High Town man and unless something really bad happens, like me getting flattened by a thirty tonne truck, I will always be a High Town man because I believe being a High Town man is essentially a good thing rather than a bad thing, i reckon that most High Town folk have held an inner belief that being a High Town man, or woman, both sexes are equally capable of showing loyalty to High Town, have long since become convinced that this closure can be a force for good for High Town.
What we are talking about here is the past promotion of sin. Yes! Sin. Good High Town men, but more often than not bad promiscuous High Town women, who I reckon have been the main patrons to this High Town shop, have been popping inside the place browsing around, trying out this, that and the other, and after hours of decadent thoughts have emerged with their purchases fundamentally changed, charged and violently intent upon personal sexual gratification.
Thats right! Sin and the promotion of it. We are talking here about erring and if there’s one thing worse than sin, as far as I’m concerned, it’s the erring that leads to the sin. If there’s no errers, then there’s no erring and if there’s no erring then you have no sin. It’s simple! High Town will be a lot better off once this den of vipers closes its door for the final time.
Perhaps then, good decent honest men. Good High Town men like me can straddle the Hereford Bull or simply be slumped on a High Town bench, because we’ve supped fourteen pints of ale and are unable to stand upright, will no longer have to endure High Town women, who’ve emerged from that shop of sin, begging us to deliver to them our manly love.
I for one am glad this shop has closed. Perhaps now we can all get back to a place where there was no need for this, that and the other that required long life batteries and instead return to the days of kissing, clumsy foreplay and a hope that during the act of lovemaking we didn’t die of a heart attack brought on by clogged up arteries whilst writhing around in the good old fashioned High Town missionary position we once used before bloody Summers decided to spice up our High Town lives.

I remember this. It was sickening! On the day after the transmission I was on duty at Samaritans where I took five calls. All five committed suicide. Whilst two of my callers had inadvertently dialled the wrong number and then decided to kill themselves, the three who had intentionally dialed Samaritans and then killed themselves, were deeply distressed by the film footage transmitted to good Herefordians who generally speaking were minding their own business diligently recycling their rubbish.
As for the Compromise Agreements between the Clergy and you, I was one of the few who wasn’t armed with a big pointy stick to beat you with who, during an open forum was brave enough to argue you shouldn’t be paid a single penny for displaying your scr.ot.um from your elevated position and I still, to this day, maintain that the contents of that weeks Offertory Box should have been given to the meek, the mild and the downright stupid who regularly bet upon uncertain outcomes, rather than line the pocket of your shamed and loose fitting cassock.

With the exception of only a small handful of members, and I'm not one of them, nobody else seems to care or bother with this forum nowadays. From where I'm sitting it's a shadow of its former self and if this rot continues in its current direction, which shows all the signs of travelling downwards, your man Colin could just as easily throw his hand in and quit leaving us all with nothing but the Hereford Times for our source of what's going on in the shire.
Rather than just read a piece, make a comment. Throw the author a bone and offer up some encouragement. This here place, Hereford Voice, was once the 'must read' social network site for every single member of the Council hierarchy. Why? Because it and we mattered. Many were frightened to death of us and consequently were desperate to know what we were saying and then understand the possibilities that our views might gather momentum influence others and ultimately place them in a poor light.
This should matter to everyone. Cast your minds back to the former Council Offices in Bath Street. If it hadn't been for Hereford Voice and it's more vociferous commentators, notably Dippy, Gridknocker, Cambo and Amanda Martin, then these bast.ards who's mouths are permanently stuck solid to the publics fiscal teat, they'd have flattened it and built a Firehouse on its site. Only because of this place has the old working boys home survived and has the chance of providing the city with a much needed accomadation resource.
Use it or lose it! Do something yourselves before the rot becomes irreversible and people stop visiting this site because like us all they can't be bloody bothered anymore.

Agreed, the building is hideous, and far removed from the expensive design guide and masterplan the council commisioned to give Rotherwas some cohesiveness. That said most of what has been built recently is pretty basic/grim/pedestrian, so we should not be surprised.
The last 'joint venture' the Council did was Blueschool House, and look how that turned out (and still no report on where the money went). We're endlessly told there is no money for essential services (despite having paid for them through Council Tax) and yet £3.5m is seemingly found for this. Skewed priorities methinks - the market should pay for this if they want it, not the Council Tax payer.

Re Maggie May's excellent comment above, the official definition of Green Infrastructure is: "The concept, in land-use planning terms, which highlights the natural environment."
Quite apart from the fact that contractors needlessly felled a number of mature trees which stood beside the old W H Smith depot; and the fact that not a single tree was planted along the 800 metres of the absurd Link Road to Nowhere; I have been unable to identify anything whatsoever in the visuals of the box-like Super Surgery which indicates that anyone involved in this project has the slightest interest in the natural environment!

We have spoken with the store this morning and they are pleased that we have highlighted this issue and we have been reliably informed that Halfords have received quotes for up to £12,000 and are more than happy to pay to have a secure compound for their rubbish but the landlords of the Spur Retail Park are refusing to allow them.
So in fairness to Halfords they have their hands tied here, although in the absence of a secure compound, Halfords Hereford are still responsible for the rubbish that is being blown across the neighbouring area and roads, this must be a priority.

I understand some further work was carried out last November and after careful research the World War 2 names were added and paid for by Hereford City Council and a donation from Chris Jones. The RBL have arranged a dedication service at 2pm Friday March 15th with refreshments at Lads Club after. All welcome of course to honour these brave men.

NEWS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Thursday 7th Feb 2019
COUNTY COUNCIL CEO IN COVER-UP CONSPIRACY
Gloucestershire environmental group uncovers long-hidden ‘conspiracy’ to influence County Council scrutiny vote on controversial £600M Javelin Park incinerator contract.
CEO of Gloucestershire County Council Peter Bungard may be subject to a charge of ‘misconduct in public office’ after secretly influencing a key scrutiny vote that has led to possibly the most expensive county council waste contract per tonne ever signed in the UK, according to Community R4C, a group campaigning for a circular economy in Gloucestershire.
Mr Bungard urgently requested a private meeting on the evening of 19th November 2015 with Scrutiny Committee chair Brian Oosthuysen (aged 77 at the time). Having sworn Mr Oosthuysen to secrecy, Bungard insisted that he must use his casting vote on the committee to prevent scrutiny by the full council of revisions to the highly controversial Javelin Park incinerator contract, “or else it will cost the Council £100M”.
Because of the lack of scrutiny, the revised and much increased contract went ahead unquestioned – and is now to cost Gloucestershire taxpayers an astonishing additional 30% (approx £150M) at a time when cuts are being made to essential social services. Bungard received a pension windfall of approx £195K from GCC that same year, awarded by the very same council Cabinet pushing forward the huge contract, and making Bungard the highest paid Council executive in the South West in 2015/16. Mr Oosthuysen went on to become Chair of the Council’s Audit Committee.
The matter is now thought to be under investigation by Gloucestershire Constabulary’s Anti-Corruption squad.
Community R4C, who have led local campaigns against the incinerator contract on grounds of cost and environmental impact says this latest reported incident is only part of a wider cover up. Legal challenges are now in hand or under consideration against the Council for breaching procurement law and misfeasance in public office. A recent request by locals for an independent public inquiry has been officially rejected by Mr Bungard who claims it would be a waste of the Council’s resources.
The original incinerator contract was vigorously opposed by Gloucestershire residents but key financial details were withheld by the Council for several years until, after costly appeals by the council funded by taxpayers, disclosure was forced by an Information Tribunal. The delay allowed Urbaser Balfour Beatty to start work at the incinerator site from July 2016. The Council then tried to keep the £150 million cost increase secret but finally released details just before Christmas 2018 once construction was virtually complete.
“The Council has been so very secretive that we did wonder what they were trying to hide, and we were really shocked when we found out about the astronomical increase,” says Sue Oppenheimer, one of Community R4C’s directors. “But the idea that a county council CEO, the most senior local civil servant, would pervert democracy in this way is just appalling. We need an independent inquiry to get to the bottom of this huge waste of public funds and the whole flawed and probably illegal process involved. If not, this could happen again, anywhere in the UK.”
Ms Oppenheimer was first to hear the story from Mr Oosthuysen. “I gather he is now in communication with the police about the incident, and rightly so,” she says.“Brian Oosthuysen, now 80, is the most senior elected member of the County Council and commands huge local respect. It seems he has been misled and mis-used by Mr Bungard. Had he and his Scrutiny Committee known then what we know now, taxpayers might not be saddled with a £600M ‘waste elephant’ that discourages recycling, that the public never wanted and the council’s own planning committee refused.”
Councillor Oosthuysen was unable to comment due to the police investigation being under way, but expressed outrage at the recently disclosed contract figures and what they imply: “What I can say is that I am very angry that both committees of which I have been chair were deprived of the information necessary to fully carry out their duties.”
The Javelin Park contract with Urbaser Balfour Beatty has been surrounded in controversy from the outset with mass protests and even a hunger strike. At a “gate fee” of £189/tonne of waste, local taxpayers are now set to foot a bill of around twice the market rate for incineration, and three times the rate charged to private customers at the same facility.
Community R4C has recently filed a High Court claim against Gloucestershire County Council, asserting the council has breached procurement law. Directors say the difference between the original contract and the revised one is so great that it should have been publicly re-tendered, allowing cheaper, more environmentally friendly solutions to be considered.
Ms Oppenheimer added: “It may not be too late for the council to salvage something from this mess. If our High Court case finds that the council unlawfully favoured one supplier above market rate, developer Urbaser Balfour Beatty may be obliged to return the difference to the public purse under state aid rules. The contract would then have to be re-examined, and at that point some open discussion about what would really benefit the county can take place. That’s what we want to see. We hope these investigations, both civil and criminal, can help to achieve a better environmental and financial outcome for the people of Gloucestershire, and ensure this awful situation doesn’t arise anywhere else. You honestly couldn’t make it up.”
****ENDS****
EDITORS NOTES:
Community R4C’s High Court claim (Details and papers can be found here), alongside calls for an Independent Inquiry, were sparked by the release on 20th December 2018 of documents following a long FOI process (in which GCC had appealed against an ICO notice to disclose). These documents revealed the details of cost increases that had been withheld from Councillors when they were asked to vote on the project in November 2015. Documents available on the Community R4C website show the planned incinerator is very inefficient, environmentally damaging and expensive.
Community R4C Ltd is a Community Benefit Society based in Stroud, Gloucestershire registered with the FCA. Set up in 2015 to work towards a waste solution which would serve the community and protect the environment, Community R4C raised almost £100,000 in a groundbreaking Community Share Scheme to facilitate its aims and the building of an alternative waste resource recovery plant – the R4C plant – in cooperation with investors and partners. Community R4C has widespread support, both within and outside Gloucestershire including from well known campaigners for sustainability – among them Jeremy Irons and Jonathon Porritt.
The society currently seeks a commitment from the council to work closely with Community R4C to ensure that changes are made to the incinerator contract, including:
* removing the mechanism that gives incentives to recycle less and waste more;
* ensuring that third party gate fees are equal to those paid by the Council taxpayers;
* encouraging greater recycling and waste avoidance;
* pre-sorting waste to remove recyclable material;
* decommissioning or re-purposing the Incinerator as soon as it is economic to do so.
Allegations of criminal misconduct were originally filed with the police in 2017 by local campaigner Jojo Mehta, alleging that public, press and many councillors had been actively misled by a small group of Cabinet members and council officers with regard to key figures in the controversial contract – information which it took a court tribunal to force the council to finally reveal. At the time Ms Mehta was told by the Inspector in charge that while he could see that the contract was severely front-loaded and problematic, there was not sufficient evidence for a criminal investigation, but that she should come back if further evidence emerged. The incident related here was submitted as further evidence, and in December 2018 police confirmed the investigation was being taken on by the local anti-corruption squad.
Audit investigation re incinerator contract: In 2017, Community R4C raised a formal complaint about the value for money of the incinerator contract with the council’s external auditor Grant Thornton. Grant Thornton’s investigation remains incomplete, with the council’s audits for 2017 and 2018 still not signed off, and GT also failed to inform the Council’s Audit Committee of the procurement process and the £150 million contract cost increase.

For information ...
The Defence Medical Welfare Service's welfare officers in Herefordshire are working closely with health professionals to provide tailored physical and mental health support to the aged veteran community in times of need, helping to reduce lengthy hospital stays and ease pressure on NHS staff.
For more information and support, visit www.dmws.org.uk or contact local Welfare Officers Bethany Parham and Ashley Winter on 07785614832 or 07377722648, email awinter@dmws.org.uk or bparham@dmws.org.uk
Going on from that .........one reads / hears that there is no help and assistance for Armed Forces Veterans Well to my mind there is . The Veteran or a member of his family / friend only have to contact one of the many Armed Forces / Veterans Charities for help , assistance ,guidance etc , that will start the ball rolling and if entitled all that's asked for will be given .......only condition is that it's NEEDS not WANTS !
I am happy for anybody seeking guidance to pm me .....

Isn’t it pleasing to see little Manny the pompous French poodle stuck in the eye of a storm of protests sweeping across France. Once again the people were fooled into voting for a man who looked nice, said very little, promised much, delivered nothing and presented himself to the world as a man of great inner wisdom and a face you could trust. When I glance at his little snide face I see the Great Liar himself. Tony Blair. The same far away holier than thou eyes and that messianic look that pleads ‘trust me’! The only difference between the pair is one is a wannabe, the other a worn out has been and the younger of the two would drape a string of onions around his scrawny neck if it meant he’d win your vote.
And this is the man who would be king of Europe. A man who’ll happily strangle the life out of Britain, build an EU Army that’d be the ruin of Europe and steeped in the shameful French military ideology of defend, retreat, retreat again, desert, capitulate and then collaborate with their conquerer. As Merkle’s loyal poodle lap dog and a man so desperate to be listened to he’ll shamelessly rub Donald Trumps left bloody leg to win favour rather than face his reality that is ‘the French people can now see through him’.
I recall his interview with Andrew Marr where he called the British stupid for voting to leave the Union. When pressed by Marr, Macron stated that he wouldn’t ever give the French a referendum on the EU because they may vote like the British and want to leave the EU. If ever a western leader has demonstrated the contempt that he and his ilk have for people and democracy, it’s this pompous French President who sneers at anyone who demonstrates a pride in their Country and holds patriotic views that he and the EU Commision wish to crush.
As for the French Yellow Vest protests, very soon Macron, the EU and other Western leaders will mobilise the media, the people will be branded populist and like thousands of peaceful marchers who recently gathered in Poland to happily celebrate their nations independence, images on your television and your newspaper will convince you that sixty thousand marchers were neo nazis fascist Far right populist extremists who were a threat to western democracy. That’s exactly what will happen to these French people who’ve taken to the streets to protest against Macron and the political establishment.
Thereafter, once the dust settles, order will be restored, the people will give up the will to carry on and come the next presidential election they’ll vote to return Macron and Bridget to the Eleyse Palace and do exactly what they’re supposed to do. Conform and obey!

How can anyone complain about a war memorial? She should put her efforts into keeping the residents of Edgar Street who cannot park near the homes to the top of her agenda instead of sucking up to Andrew Wood and the overrated clean up group

The city council have done a really good job here in restoring this treasured memorial and installing a bench.
I notice that Polly Andrews claims in her newsletter that she was not informed about the decision to place this bench here, why does she is need be be informed at all? The city council have obviously gained all the permission that were required from the county council in the first instance, maybe her colleagues forgot to let her know. Definitley sour grapes, if the truth is known, she is moaning now because it was not her idea!

What a petty, sniping stance by the Councillor. This childish point scoring between the City Council and the District Council has gone on since the day that Herefordshire Council came about and the City Council was demoted to a Parish. Both sides are equally guilty - I've seen it time and again in meetings and is partly a product of poor leadership and partly far too many Councillors with entrenched views in position for far too long - time for a huge clear-out in the elections next May please.
In the meantime, the Councillor's time would be better spent by challenging the £1m overspend on Blueschool House, which is in her ward and which she supported at the Planning application stage.

if you were someone returning to Hereford after a few years,of being away,you could be forgiven for think that the old John Venn building,in bath street had been moved to the bottom of Aylestone hill…if returning from that direction!
No it’s no good she’s still ugly…so how much is this ugly sister going to cost us more or less than her equally ugly sister down the road?

That's the good position postmen are in when they get to know their customers. They get a more balanced view of people they deliver to and don't jump to conclusions. It's nice talking to people outside the clique and seeing their approach to life. It makes you a better person.

Catching up with my reading on Wirralleaks just saw this - hope PC does not mind my reposting it:
"As we said yesterday in our Spot the Blott post we do like to follow the progress of former Wirral Council alumni who have graced (and disgraced) our pages. Fortunately for us (and unfortunately for them ) there are correspondents around the country – and particularly from Bristol, Hereford, York and Sandwell – who have kept us informed of Wirral Council’s cast-offs and how they carry on regardless of any scandals or scrapes they’ve been involved in beforehand. However it would appear that we have a particular keen following in Cheshire East. Thanks mainly to the travels and travails of Wirral Council ‘s former head of law – the infamous Bill Norman.
Firstly we hear that there are currently no less than SIX ( count ’em) police investigations concerning Tory led Cheshire East Council. Read more here : Cheshire East police investigations
Kudos to the Cheshire Constabulary for actually taking allegations of Council corruption seriously which is more than be said of Merseyside Police who are seemingly too lazy and/or too busy exchanging funny handshakes and going to the confessional box to be bothered investigating legitimate concerns about Wirral Council . We’ll be interested to know whether the mud will stick and there will be a sticky end for Cheshire East councillors and council officers.
However particular thanks go out to “A member of ItsRandom the Wirralleaks franchise in Cheshire East” who sends us this particularly interesting missive concerning Mr Norman and the use of Wirral based consultants ‘Sticky Change’. Now we know that ‘ Sticky Change’ may sound like an old Wirral Leaks headline from the days when we were covering stories about Wirral Council senior management sex romps but this change management consultancy firm website reads like satire to us : Sticky Change . Their ‘Our Values’ page has to be seen to believed (and sorry we don’t believe any of it). Any one who uses the word ‘ Passionate’ to describe the process of making money is to be viewed with great suspicion as far as we’re concerned. And as for the ‘ look at my backside’ quip – oh do give over ! It’s more a case of all my arse as far as we’re concerned.We’re not sure whether Wirral Council have ever used ‘Sticky Change’ (perhaps somebody would like to enquire) . Meanwhile read this and weep :
Wirral Council and Cheshire East Council have far more in common than anyone realises, so its little wonder that whistle blowing staff and residents are in fear of speaking out. Bill Norman left his mark at both Councils, but the blame lies with those that allowed his appointment…..and they are the ones which always keep their jobs. When Councils appoint people like Bill Norman they know exactly what they are getting. Cheshire East and Wirral Council are not alone in appointing expendable people to take the flack when wrongdoing is exposed.
Corporate organisations like to appoint people who share the values of the company, but what happens when the people at the top of an organisation not only tolerate wrongdoing but potentially reward employees via promotion for allowing it to happen. With these type of organisation all employees are seen as expendable. In fact to the people at the very top of many public sector organisations the sacrificing of employees is little more than a snake sacrificing its own skin – it means nothing because its still a snake.
In fact looking at Bill Normans work history at other councils I would be amazed if Cheshire East Councils didn’t provide details of the payoff and compromise agreement as part of the employment contract for new starters. Most organisations want honest consciousness employees, but Cheshire East Council see these employees as potential whistle blowers and manage (bully) them out.
Sticky Change…….
I feel Cheshire East Council spending over £150,000 to bring in a consultancy firm called Sticky Change in order to help the authority tackle its ‘bullying’ culture is more about creating good PR to fool the public into believing that the leopard really wants to change its spots. It was reported that Sticky Change worked with Everton Football club and this might help explain my point.
Football is a results based business, and even when the decision was made by Everton FC to bring in Sticky Change the directors knew that the manager would still be the one picking the team to play a 442 system. It wont be any different at Cheshire East Council.
As Cheshire East Council seem committed to at least appear to be drag their reputation from out of the sewers then perhaps they would answer the question I made a week ago:
The real question is when did Sticky Change work with Torbay Council – before, during, or after Bill Normans employment with Torbay Council?
This is very important because Cheshire East Council need to be aware that the decision to choose Sticky Change as external consultants should be open to public scrutiny.
Sticky Change previously worked at Torbay Council and it is important to know if this was before, during, or after Bill Normans time with the council? If it was during or after Bill Normans time with Torbay Council then Bill Norman and Sticky Change may have a connection.
The fact that CEC didn’t mention Torbay Council in their press release when naming who else Sticky Change had previously worked with seemed strange, so was it a deliberate omission to avoid drawing attention to any potential link?
Just months after the departure of Bill Norman from Cheshire East Council it was announced that Sticky Change would be brought in to tackle the bullying culture. So how and when did CEC first look at using the services of Sticky Change and did his overlap with Bill Normans time at CEC?
Sticky Change are based on the Wirral and whilst working at Wirral Council its believed that Bill Norman also lived on the Wirral (Bill might have continued to live on the Wirral whilst working at CEC). Given the points above and Bill Normans very close geographical relationship to Sticky Change on the Wirral there is a possibility that there is a connection/relationship between Bill Norman and Sticky Change. What steps have CEC taken to ensure that the decision to use Sticky Change (and their independence) will stand up to public scrutiny?
I cant speak on behalf of other people but I don’t think I would be comfortable discussing the bullying culture at CEC with consultants from Sticky Change if the above points remain unanswered. The fact that CEC didn’t seem to carry out any due diligence when appointing Bill Norman means how can anyone be sure that it wasn’t Bill Norman that recommended CEC to bring in Sticky Change?
Sticky Change (Consultants) Ltd
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/05084024/filing-history
Sticky Change (Partners) Ltd
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/05070937/officers"

Feeble Responses. When one reads the paucity of thought contained in John Bothomley's 85-word stream-of-consciousness submission on behalf of Hereford Civic Society; or looks at the pusillanimous contribution from Natural England (sic) - "Summary of Natural England's Advice: No Objection" - one is drawn to the conclusion that HC's Cabinet must be laughing their socks off. Opposition? What opposition?

I went to the consultation on these plans at the town hall I expressed that it look like a box & not very attractive!…if the design had the roof levels broken up & addsome sweeping curves then it might be more attractive?
the architect said he would do that but in fact nothing on the plans have changed & this building is more in keeping with the industrial looking buildings across the road than the railway station building which is a shame really…no real thoughts has gone into the design but I don't think it's in the conservation area? so will be given the green light regardless of its ugly appearances.

Meghan's Mum what a star what a very dignified lady. The Sermon/Address was different very different we'll leave it at that. It all seemed to be a lovely happy safe day and thank God for that. Mrs Clooney absolutely gorgeous and he aint bad either.

When the proposed student accommodation is built on the old Rockfield store site it does not appear to me that there will be much room left for a well designed bus station to allow them to turn/park and avoid conflict with passengers/cyclists/taxis, etc.
I choose to disagree on the location of this surgery and the quantity of car parking spaces (96). If located next to rail, bus, bike, etc why so many car parking spaces required? Morrisons is opposite so why yet another car park in this urban area?
The height of this building next to the Victorian railway station just overwhelms the listed building and gives no sense of place. If this height is needed for a new GP surgery and is such a square modern box design, build it where the current bus station is by the new hospital (another modern design building). That way you wont need the ambulance parking bays either.
Where is the canal basin etc we were promised in the ESG masterplan? If that plan is no longer a template for the redevelopment of our city why dont we plan this area as part of the Hereford Area Plan? That way a proper urban transport network can be designed not the swathes of tarmac and no safe cycling delivered at vast cost by the City Link Road.
This area has already been destroyed at huge public expense by the City Link Road which has been correctly damned by Historic England for anyone arriving as a visitor to our city (Historic England Urban panel review Oct 2017 ).

Not sure if this is allowed. Being totally new to this situation and know nobody to ask, am looking for care home for elderly mother with dementia. Have looked at all official websites etc.. Does anyone on here have any personal experieince with care homes in Hereford?

What a very good article , well researched and written by Nick Jones .
The idea of turning older building into hotels appears to work very well in Spain , as I see it , the biggest obstacle to saving old buildings is Herefodshire Council , as Gridknocker pointed out the burnt out premises covered in scaffolding in a prime position with the Old House nearby must make visitors to the City believe that the Council just ain't bothered ,especially when it's pointed out that the building fire was 9 years ago . Going on from that the Council wanted to knock down the Old Boys Home for a new Fire Stn . High profile protests made them think again.

Local Herefordian Acoustic Covers Artist 'Steph James' is performing on Saturday 31st March at The Grapes Tavern in Hereford.
Kicking off at 9.30pm and performing until late.
Come and join us for a fabulous night of entertainment and singing